


Baby Steps

by intricate_cat



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-11
Updated: 2018-10-11
Packaged: 2019-07-29 14:04:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16265729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/intricate_cat/pseuds/intricate_cat
Summary: set shortly after Asra brings back the Apprentice from the deadcontains spoilers for Asra's route and MC's pasti had meant for fluff, not slow burn but this came out ahahenjoy!I don't own The Arcana or Asra, they belong to Nix Hydra.





	Baby Steps

**Author's Note:**

> something for my fluffy haired son ^3^
> 
> this is unbeta-ed so please forgive any mistakes found thank
> 
> enjoy

"(Name), do you remember me...?"  
  
The question hung in midair as Asra waited for (Name) to respond.   
  
There was none, save for the owlish blinking of the male's eyes as they slowly focused on golden skin and amethyst eyes. Asra sighed softly and gently grasped the hand of his beloved. He looked into his eyes, doleful and yet warm. He opened his mouth to speak once more, reassuring the other male resting on the bed that all was well, and to forget that he had even asked. That would be his last attempt at persuading his love to regain their memories, he told himself.   
  
The male laying on the bed parted his lips as if to speak, but all that came out was a squeak, and he froze in surprise, before deciding to bring Asra's hand to his face, nuzzling it with his lips, eyes still staring intently on Asra's beautifully tanned face. Asra blushed, not knowing how to react, yet he didn't break the eye contact. He wondered if that action meant that his love had recalled, though the small voice in the back of his mind told him it couldn't be, no.  
  
The... patient, for a lack of a better term to address him by, hadn't seemed to show the slightest recognition towards Asra, or the room that he currently resided in. It had been that way since the very first night that Asra had carried him home in his arms, tears threatening to spill from his violet eyes. Faust had been wrapped around his neck during the arduous journey from the palace to their home, but she slid off him as they neared the quaint little shop that Asra owned and slipped into the building through a wooden window ahead of them.  
  
That night, Asra's hands were trembling as he recited a spell to release the warding charms that he had set up a few months prior. They had faded a considerable bit and were barely there as he released them, pushing the door open to his humble abode and rushing upstairs to set the feverish male on the bed. He hadn't the slightest idea why (Name) was burning up, but he was very determined not to lose him again after going to such lengths to bring him back from ashes.  
  
Through his blurry vision, he went into the bathroom and pulled out a small basin and put it to the water tap, filling it up manually as opposed to the magical means that he'd usually preferred under regular circumstances, and there was nothing regular about intervening an elaborate spell and resulting in having his lover returned to him safely after finding nothing of him but bones buried within ash and dust. It was as clear as day to anyone who saw him that he was immensely exhausted from the whole ordeal that he had gone through since the arrival of the dreadful plague.   
  
He grabbed two towels from the shelf in the bathroom and threw them in the basin to soak up some water before shutting the tap as the basin filled halfway. He hurriedly made his way back to the bedroom with the basin in his arms where he found his love twisting and turning, crying out softly under the soft covers of the bed.  
  
Alarmed, not knowing if this was supposed to happen after being resurrected, Asra set to work removing the shirt that he had pulled on the male at the castle. He then wrung the cloths of the water and placed one on the whimpering male's forehead before taking the other and dabbing the male's body gently, cleaning the sweat off him, while his own eyes slowly started to droop. Before he knew it, sleepless nights and days of exhaustion took over and he passed out on the side of the bed, a hand holding on to (Name)'s tightly.  
  
When he awoke that morning from the side of the bed, his heart was filled with relief to see that his significant other was laying on the bed, sleeping soundly under the sheets, his shivering from the previous night absent. Asra raised a nimble hand to brush away the hair that had fallen in (Name)'s face as he slept, stroking his cheek tenderly. Leaning close, he allowed himself to take in a deep breath, breathing in the faint scent of wildflowers and myrrh, a smell that grounded Asra, the scent of (Name).  
  
That brought him back to the present from his reminiscing of the night of the Masquerade. He excused himself, pulling away from the warm embrace of (Name)'s hands. (Name) had made a little whine of concern when Asra left, worried about Asra even though he didn't know what was wrong. Asra heard it, but he ignored it and made his way to the bathroom, running the water to wash his face and to freshen up a little. To ease the heartache that (Name)'s missing memories had brought upon him.  
  
"It's okay", he muttered to himself, hands on the sides of the sink, droplets of water collecting on the tip of his nose before dripping into the wash basin. "It's going to be alright. Let's take baby steps, Asra. (Name) is alive. He is safe. Yeah."  
  
"Baby steps", he mumbled.   
  
\---  
  
It wasn't long before (Name) had learned to speak again, and when he did, he started helping out around the house, be it washing the dishes or doing the laundry, he learned it by watching Asra and imitating him. Asra ever so often snuck lingering glances at (Name) lithe frame as (Name) bustled around the bijou living area that they shared. Oblivious as ever, the male never caught his glances, much to Asra's relief.  
  
(Name) had much difficulty going out to the marketplace since he had been brought back from the dead. The people would always stare at him curiously and their attention had been a little too overwhelming, especially the very first time that Asra had brought him outside. Not knowing why he was warranting unwelcome glances from the people, (Name) resorted to borrowing the many shawls and scarves that the magician owned and wrapping them around his neck and face, hoping to block out the prying looks of the townsfolk.  
  
Slowly, (Name) learned about the magical arts, with the fluffy haired male as his teacher, and began addressing him as master, much to Asra's dismay. He had begged him to stop calling him by that  _dreadful_ title, but the male was indignant about it, reasoning that since Asra was teaching him magic, it was only right that he be addressed properly, to which the golden skinned boy looked at him with remorse laden in his eyes and told him that he was only returning to him what he already knew, to (Name)'s confusion.  
  
His master started going away on faraway journeys soon after that, leaving the (colour)-haired male in charge of the shop. Asra often needed a break from things, not that (Name) knew why. It had been too much, suffocating even, for Asra to hold himself back from spilling his overflowing love for (Name), to resist pulling him into his warm embrace, kissing him tenderly and whispering honeyed words in his love's ear every single time that (Name) turned to Asra and flashed him that glorious smile, full of innocence and warmth.  
  
_Baby steps_ , he reminded himself.  
  
He needed to take things slow, but with every passing day and no sign of (Name)'s memories, he wasn't very sure just how much more could he take seeing his  _sunshine_  smile so brightly towards him without bursting into tears.  
  
_That's what these trips are for_ , he chided himself.  
  
But there is only so much a man with half a heart can take without losing control. And Asra was almost reaching his limit.

**Author's Note:**

> struggled with this and i wanna make a second part so look out for that
> 
> alright byee!


End file.
